A Bet Between Gods
by kate882
Summary: The gods of water and earth make a bet. The last time these two fought with each other it nearly destroyed the world. Hopefully things don't go quite so badly this time.


There was a time when the gods of water and earth were practically inseparable. They were almost always referred to as "Kuroko and Aomine" together instead of individually. They were in love. But then things started changing.

"Daiki, where have you been? You were supposed to come with me while I made icebergs." Kuroko frowned when he found the earth god lounging on a newly made mountain.

"Why?" Aomine didn't even open his eyes.

"What do you mean why? Because you said that you would, that's why." Kuroko knelt down and poked Aomine's cheek until the other cracked his eyes open to look at him. "Something has been bothering you lately. You hardly ever come to Earth with me anymore, and you've been acting strange. I know you don't think much of the humans, but you used to go to keep me company at least. Did I do something to upset you?"

Aomine waved a dismissive hand. "You didn't do anything, Tetsu. You're worrying too much. Go take care of your icebergs or whatever," the god said flippantly.

"I already did that. And you weren't there," Kuroko said sadly as he walked away, and in a nearby town the first of many to come storms started up in response to the water god's sadness.

Conversations like this kept on happening. In the wake of the earth god's growing frustration a series of earthquakes started.

"Why can't you just tell me what is bothering you?" Kuroko had been asking Aomine this a lot lately.

"Because you wouldn't get it."

"Maybe I will, but we can't know that unless you tell me," Kuroko insisted.

"Really? You think you're going to understand having the responsibility of everyone else's job on your shoulders to take care of some mortals that you don't even like that much? _You_ who are oh-so-fascinated by the pitiful little creatures can understand that?"

"Everyone else's job? No one is making you do their job for them. I invite you to join me in doing mine, but you're certainly not responsible for it," Kuroko told him.

"Really? Where are you going to put your water if my earth isn't there? Where is Midorima going to put his plants if I don't provide the soil? What is Kagami lighting on fire if there are no trees to make kindling because Midorima can't grow them? What is Kise sending light for in there's nothing where the Earth should be? Without me none of you are useful to your precious mortals, and without them what purpose do any of you serve?"

Below, on Earth, these mortals were starting to wonder if the world was ending. Earthquakes tore open the ground, and the ocean buried towns under its waves.

"We all work together! The mortals need all of us to survive. Your job is important, yes, but no more so than any other job." Hurricanes started while volcanoes erupted, but the two gods remained unaware of the destruction they were causing in the human world, too focused on the pain they were both feeling as they knew things were coming to an end between them. Hundreds of thousands of years seemed to be crumbling like sand over Aomine's pride.

"I knew it! You don't understand! Your perception of the matter is limited because you can't see it from my perspective. I can create soil and mountains without anyone's help. You need me to do anything with your water. All of you need me, but I don't need any of you."

"You don't need me?" Tsunamis struck cost, and rain poured so hard that it destroyed homes.

"No." Canyons opened in cities and blizzards covered crops.

"Fine." Kuroko and Aomine walked away from each other at the same time, the screamed prayers and curses of the mortals below deafening in their heads, but they both ignored them.

Several thousand years later, and the Earth had recovered, as it always seemed to.

The grass fluttered around Kuroko in the wind, tickling exposed spots of skin as he stared up at the sky. The clouds shaped themselves according to his imagination as he watched them peacefully.

Kuroko spent an odd amount of time in the mortal realm, drifting much like the rivers that he created. Sometimes the other gods would visit him. Kise was a frequent guest in his life. He'd drop out of the sky as the sun set, still glowing brightly enough to attract attention and smiling almost as bright as the light he emitted.

This time the one interrupting his peace was Aomine Daiki. He threw a shadow over the water god, blocking his view of the sky as he stood over him. "What did you want, Tetsu?" The earth god asked, tone cold enough that he could have been made of the ice that Kuroko so loved to sculpt when Momoi allowed the earth to get cold enough. "You know I hate it out here with these mortals, so I hope there's a good reason for you to call me here." Aomine said, casting a disdainful glance around the field they were in.

Kuroko did know. Aomine had always held such contempt for the mortals, thinking them weak. In a sense, Kuroko supposed he was right. Humans died so easily and so _quickly._ Kuroko had seen centuries fly by on a wisp of wind without aging a day, but new humans with new customs had already replaced the ones that he had grown fond of. But he found the rapid change to be interesting. The way the valued life because it was so short to them endearing. How could one hate humans when they already did such a good job of hating themselves? The wars they raged, the killings they arranged. It all baffled him because of such a variety. One needn't look far before finding acts of kindness after such acts of terror.

"It seems to be that time of year again. I'm getting so many prayers about rain for the crops of farmers, or for rivers to keep flowing. What about you? Is there any thinking room through all the prayers for good soil this season?" Kuroko replied, propping himself up on his elbows.

"I didn't come here for small talk, Tetsu." There was a spark of irritation in Aomine's eyes, and had Kuroko been concerned with the lives of a few mortals instead of merely fascinated with them on a whole, he may have felt pity for whichever village was feeling an earthquake because of Aomine's annoyance.

Kuroko sighed. "No, I suppose you didn't, did you?"

It had been thousands of years since their separation, and Kuroko thought that was plenty enough time for things to cool down enough between the two of them for a bet.

Perhaps if Aomine lost a bet against his own importance he would come to his senses and maybe things could go back to the way they had been between the two of them. Maybe not exactly the same, but something similar perhaps. Either way, Kuroko hoped it would result in having Aomine in his life more than what was simply a strict necessity to make sure the Earth ran smoothly.

"I wanted to propose a bet," Kuroko told him, getting to his feet. There was a puddle where he had been laying, but with a quick glance from Aomine the ground had absorbed it for the grass. If this meeting had taken place a few centuries ago Kuroko might have pointed out that what Aomine had just done had both been working with him and Midorima to better this spot of the Earth, but he knew that logic would bounce right off of Aomine like rain.

"A bet? I thought we left the gambling to Haizaki," Aomine drawled, but Kuroko caught the flicker of interest. The god of money had a penchant for causing gamblers to lose their fortunes as easily as they made them, and could be a rather merciless debt collector.

"There is no money on the line. In fact, nothing but our pride is at risk," Kuroko replied.

"…You have my attention," Aomine reluctantly admitted.

"I'd like to think that I always have," Kuroko said with a sad smile before continuing. "It's a simple bet of who can get the most prayers of thanks by the time or harvest. Clearly whomever the mortals deem most important will get the most thanks for a successful season, right?"

Aomine's eyes narrowed at him. "Don't think I can't see what you're trying to do, Tetsu. I know you better than anyone else."

"And the reverse is true. Which is why I know you're hoping that I'll win so that things can change between us," Kuroko said confidently. "So, is it a bet?" He copied the human tradition and stuck out his hand to shake on it.

There was a moment of pause before Aomine nodded and shook Kuroko's offered hand. "A bet that you'll lose, but a bet nonetheless."


End file.
